‘The Poudre Runs Through It’ report is hot off the press

From email from the Colorado Water Institute (Reagan Waskom/Mary Lou Smith):

Thanks again for participating last year in our successful look at the Poudre River and Northern Colorado’s water future. At the end of the series we promised to send you the final report from the public deliberation sessions that closed out the series. Well, here it is!

[Click here] to read the report, written by Martin Carcasson and Leah Sprain, CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, who facilitated the public deliberation sessions.

More than 350 of you participated in The Poudre Runs Through It: Northern Colorado’s Water Future. Some attended all the sessions, including the educational programs and the public deliberation events.

At the close of the series we asked those in attendance to evaluate the series. Overwhelmingly, you rated it “very helpful” and said it provided unbiased coverage of the issues. Though last year’s participants have different opinions about topics such as water storage, conservation, agricultural water use, and growth, virtually all expressed interest in the health of the Poudre River.

Almost everyone said the series was a good start but that the community needs more information about our water challenges. We heard you, and we are today launching a central website as one way to meet this need—bringing together the myriad resources and activities related to the Poudre River.

And that’s not all. We have followed up the 2011 series with a Poudre Runs Through It Study/Action Work Group that will be meeting monthly through May, 2013. This work group is made up of 25 community leaders in agricultural, municipal, environmental, industrial, business, development, and recreational sectors. We are learning together about all aspects of the river and strategizing ways we can work together to “make the Poudre River the world’s best example of a ‘working river’—one that provides economic and social benefits by respecting private property rights—that’s also a healthy river.”

We envision convening a public session on the banks of the Poudre early in June where we will relate what the Study/Action Work Group accomplished and discuss their recommendations for moving forward. This will be the community’s opportunity to learn more about the Poudre and how we promote cooperation and leverage resources to respect and improve our crown jewel.

Stay tuned to the website for progress of the Study/Action Work Group and to find out about the June “roll out” on the banks of the Poudre! And share this email and the website link with others, please.